Sawt Falasteen - Head of victorious Nepal party hails 'win for the country'

The March 5 polls elected a new 275-seat lower house of parliament, with 165 members chosen directly and 110 through proportional representation.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won a commanding mandate, taking 125 constituency seats and 57 proportional seats, falling just two short of a two-thirds majority.

"This is not a win for RSP, this is a win for the country. We have to prove that," party founder and president Rabi Lamichhane told newly appointed lawmakers at an orientation programme, in his first public remarks since the election.

"The common people have voted for RSP so that the country can win... It is now in your hands what kind of future we write," the 51-year-old said.

The vote was the first since youth-led anti-corruption protests in September toppled the government.

The demonstrations began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over corruption and economic hardship.

At least 77 people were killed over two days of unrest.

"This (change) has not come about through a normal situation," Lamichhane said.

"(Our) brothers and sisters have sacrificed their blood for this change, we have to institutionalise it."

Lamichhane vaulted to prominence in 2022 by channelling public frustration with Nepal's ageing political class, serving briefly as deputy prime minister and interior minister.

But he has also faced repeated legal troubles, including fraud charges that have seen him in and out of jail since his initial arrest in 2024.

A former television host known for combative interviews exposing corrupt officials, Lamichhane said the party must treat its win not as a celebration but a responsibility.

"From elderly people to children, the citizens of this country have appealed to us to save it," he said.

"The next five years will not be easy... we have to work very hard."

The RSP campaigned alongside the popular rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, presenting him as its prime-ministerial candidate.

Shah, 35, defeated veteran four-time premier KP Sharma Oli whose Marxist-led government was ousted during last year's protests.

His upset victory and rapid rise from Kathmandu mayor to expected prime minister mark one of the most dramatic shifts in recent Nepali politics.

Shah did not attend Wednesday's orientation event.

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST